Pecan Caramel Bourbon Cake Recipes

CARAMEL BUTTER PECAN CAKE WITH BOURBON FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350° F. Grease or spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan.
• In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan. bake 28-33 minutes, until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and cool completely.
• Using the handle of a clean wooden spoon, poke holes in the cake, almost to the bottom of the pan, about every inch. Place dulce de leche in microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for about 30 seconds. Stir and see if it's pourable. If not continue to microwave in 10-second intervals, stopping to stir. Pour the dulce de leche over the top of the cake using a rubber spatula to spread it out and fill the holes.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the butter and egg yolk at medium-high speed until creamy. Beat in the sugar at low speed. Beat in the cream, vanilla, bourbon, and salt, then beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 minutes longer. Beat the toasted pecans into the frosting.
• Spread frosting over cake layer and top with toffee bits or toasted pecan pieces. Slice and serve. Store cake covered in the refrigerator.

PECAN-BOURBON BUNDT CAKE

Steps:

• Position oven rack in the lower middle position; preheat to 350°; prepare Bundt pan by making a paste from 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 tablespoon flour; apply it with a pastry brush so you can thoroughly coat the surface of the pan, including all the nooks and crannies.
• Nut filling: Toss all the filling ingredients together in a bowl.
• Cake: Whisk the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a bowl; in a small bowl, whisk buttermilk, molasses, bourbon, and vanilla together.
• In a big bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy--3 to 6 minutes.
• Beat in the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, until combined, about 1 minute.
• Decrease mixer speed to low; beat in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk mixture; repeat with half the remaining flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk mixture.
• Beat in the remaining flour mixture until just incorporated.
• Scrape half the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top; sprinkle evenly with the nut filling.
• Scrape the remaining batter over the nuts and smooth the top.
• Wipe any drops of batter off the sides of the pan and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter.
• Bake the cake until a wooden pick comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 50-60 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.
• Let cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack; let cake cool completely, about 2 hours.
• Glaze: Whisk all the glaze ingredients together until smooth, then let sit until thickened, about 25 minutes.
• Drizzle the bourbon glaze over the top and sides of the cake; let glaze set, about 25 minutes, before serving.

BUTTER PECAN COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs, vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
• Add flour, cinnamon powder, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined.
• Mix in pecans and toffee bits until evenly distributed.
• Chill dough for 30-45 minutes to make it easier to handle.
• Scoop out small portions of the dough and roll into balls. The chilled dough will seem a bit crumbly but the warmth of your hands will help bring the dough together into small balls.
• Optional: Roll each cookie dough ball in a bowl of granulated sugar, if you like. I don't usually do it but my Mom does it.
• Place them on a cookie tray, lined with parchment paper.
• Bake at 350 degrees F for about 11-14 minutes or until cookies are golden brown and firm along the edges. They will be "poofy" in the center and deflate as they cool. If they don't deflate fully to your liking, you can press down gently with the back of a spoon. Enjoy!

PECAN CARAMEL BOURBON CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, spices and baking powder. Add one egg and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl and add the remaining eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is smooth and fluffy after each egg is added.
• Add the flour, about 1/3 at a time, alternately with the liquids (milk and bourbon). Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition. Blend in the nuts, if you're using them.
• Grease and flour your pan(s); use one (2.8L, 11 cup) bundt-style pan, a 10-inch tube pan, or two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans. Preheat your oven to 180°C
• Scoop the batter into the pan(s) and level it with a spatula. Bake the cake for 70 to 75 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool it in the pan(s) for 10 minutes.
• Syrup: While the cake is cooling, heat the butter, sugar and bourbon together in a small saucepan set over low heat. Stir until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, then bring the mixture to a boil. CAUTION: The bourbon is likely to burst into flame when it reaches the boiling point. This process, while quite impressive, calls for a few notes of caution. Don't lean over the pan while you're stirring; it also might be a good idea to have a lid handy to quiet the flame. This process will burn off the alcohol. When the flame goes out, remove the glaze from the heat. Note: the bourbon may not ever burst into flame; that's OK. Just boil it for about 15 seconds, then remove it from the heat.
• After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, turn it out of the pan and onto a rack, then poke small toothpick-sized holes all over the top surface. Brush the top of the cake with the still-warm glaze. It'll drizzle down into the holes to make a very moist cake.
• You can certainly eat the cake as soon as it's cooled, but it does improve with a "rest period" of 1 or 2 days. Do let the cake cool for several hours, to allow the glaze to set before wrapping well in plastic wrap. (No need to refrigerate it.) Before serving, dust the cake with a non-melting sugar, if desired, or ice with Bourbon White Chocolate Ganache. Yield: one cake or two "loaves," about 32 servings.

PECAN BOURBON CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Remove pan from heat and carefully add cream, bourbon, lemon juice, and pecans (caramel will steam and harden). Return pan to heat and simmer sauce, stirring, until caramel is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Pour sauce into a bowl and cool slightly. (Sauce keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.)